Ion implantation is a process of depositing chemical species into a substrate by direct bombardment of the substrate with energized ions. In semiconductor manufacturing, ion implanters are used primarily for doping processes that alter a type and level of conductivity of target materials. Precise and efficient handling of integrated circuit (IC) substrates and their thin-film structures is often crucial for proper doping and performance.
FIG. 1 depicts a conventional ion implanter system 100. The ion implanter 100 includes a source power 101, an ion source 102, extraction electrodes 104, a 90° magnet analyzer 106, a first deceleration (D1) stage 108, a 70° magnet analyzer 110, and a second deceleration (D2) stage 112. The D1 and D2 deceleration stages (also known as “deceleration lenses”) each comprise multiple electrodes with a defined aperture to allow an ion beam 10 to pass therethrough. By applying different combinations of voltage potentials to the multiple electrodes, the D1 and D2 deceleration lenses can manipulate ion energies and cause the ion beam 10 to hit a target workpiece 114 at a desired energy. A number of measurement devices 116 (e.g., a dose control Faraday cup, a traveling Faraday cup, or a setup Faraday cup) may be used to monitor and control the ion beam conditions.
As described above, handling the target workpiece 114 is critical to successful ion implantation. Mishandling of the target workpiece 114 may result in damaged or improperly implanted workpiece that may be unusable, which may lead to a decrease in production and an increase in cost. As a result, traditional techniques may not provide both efficiency and precision in handling media arrays.
In view of the foregoing, it may be understood that there may be significant problems and shortcomings associated with current handling of media arrays.